Email Best Practices
Employing the following best practices in maintaining WVU email accounts can help in increasing efficiency and avoiding potential risks:
- Keep a separate email account for personal communications
While the University allows for de minimis personal use of email resources, it is recommended that employees use personal email accounts with service providers outside of the University for email not related to their WVU roles.
- Ask personal contacts to send communications to your personal email address
It is important to realize the potential implications of personal mail on University systems as it can possibly become part of official records. For this reason, it is suggested that personal information such as communications with family or friends, financial institutions, merchants, or service providers be directed to personal email accounts to avoid potential risks.
- Delete unneeded messages and attachments
Messages and attachments stored in WVU email accounts consume space on WVU’s mail servers. Attachments can take up significant amounts of space and it is best to save them on other storage media and remove them from your email account when possible. Periodic reviewing of older messages may help locate items that are no longer needed and free up additional space.
- Unsubscribe from mailing lists that are no longer needed
Users often subscribe to mailing lists that initially appear to be useful. It may later be determined that the messages are not significant, or the user does not have adequate time to review them. Unsubscribe from these lists when possible to reduce continued effort in deleting messages and lighten the demands on the email system.
- Follow suggestions for minimizing Spam
While the University prevents much of the spam targeted for WVU email accounts from being delivered, there are additional things you can do to prevent Spam.
Please visit: What you can do to minimize spam
- Observe University policies pertaining to Electronic Mail and Appropriate Use
All OIT policies are available for review.
Please visit: OIT University Policies & Procedures
Updated April 9, 2008